MLB Hank Aaron Invitational: A Showcase and Classroom for Nation’s Best High School Baseball Players

'The goal, honestly, is to get them to college, so they have the opportunity to play baseball in college or at least to build a career around baseball.'

The Hank Aaron Invitational will bring together around 250 high school baseball players (ages 13–18) nationwide to receive elite-level training from former Major League Baseball (MLB) players and coaches.

According to an MLB press release, the annual amateur development event serves as a youth-oriented, on-field diversity initiative that works to get high school-aged baseball players with diverse backgrounds to the next level of the game.

The Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida, will host the event, which runs from July 23 to August 3. The last day features a showcase game at Truist Park.

The invitational is named after Hank Aaron, who played 23 seasons for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. Aaron was the 1957 National League MVP and World Series champion and broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record of 714 in 1974. Aaron was also an entrepreneur, prominent civil rights figure, and an advocate of Black Americans taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition to the training, attendees will also presentations on college eligibility and other information necessary for advancement in the collegiate and professional levels of the sport.

“The goal, honestly, is to get them to college, so they have the opportunity to play baseball in college or at least to build a career around baseball,” Atlanta Braves Senior Director of Community Affairs Danielle BeDasse said in a 2022 statement. “This (invitational) was (Aaron’s) dream realized, and he worked for a long time to make sure there was more minority access to the league—not only on the field but in the front office.”

The top 44 players from the invitational’s second week were also invited to participate in a special showcase game at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, as part of an extensive “Hank Aaron Week” hosted by the Braves. Hank Aaron Week will include a variety of diversity and culture-focused initiatives, including business networking, education, and social justice.

Players for the invitational were selected through a combination of several MLB programs, including the MLB Youth Academy network, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, and USA Baseball.

Originally Published 2022.